


I'll Depend On You

by BardsandNoble



Category: Dalton Academy Series
Genre: Haven members, M/M, Something Damaged Cast - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-14 10:46:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29294628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BardsandNoble/pseuds/BardsandNoble
Summary: How I think Juliark would get together. CW for C*meron being icky.
Relationships: Julian Larson-Armstrong/Clark Sawyer
Comments: 2
Kudos: 2





	I'll Depend On You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [HavenStan12 (QueenOfTheFandoms)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenOfTheFandoms/gifts).



> Hap borth, Ricky. I'm sorry I wrote zero narrative description.

The summer Julian was home in Los Angeles was also an interesting summer for Clark. He had been prepared to settle down in the city anyway for filming and song writing. After the events of his stepbrother’s Parents Night cancelled filming, he was more than willing to stick around anyway for a new reason. He felt he should’ve done something more when he received the letter. He should’ve sought Julian out earlier in the night. But hindsight was not of any use to him now, and he moved forward the only way he could.

Clark had always looked after the younger boy. It wasn’t so long ago, after all, that he was his age and just entering show business. When Julian went home, wounded physically and emotionally, was no different. He let almost no one visit at first, so Clark just checked with Dolce, leaving snacks or gifts, and turned around each time for a couple weeks. The first time he was allowed in, he found a shell of the co-worker he knew before. The light of the bright young star had faded. He had lost weight, his eyes lacked their playful sparkle, and his voice was hollow when he managed to find any words.

It got better each time. He tried not to visit every day, but when he finally got Julian to smile, he felt relieved. Clark had always treated him as a friend, but there was no doubt, even when a classmate coaxed him back to finish school, that they would remain friends for a very long time.

Things got better. As he matured things would get easier, but Clark still felt he had some protecting to do. At the network-mandated publicity cast party for Julian’s 18th birthday, for example, things got out of hand. It had been a while since they all learned of Cameron kissing Julian, but he hadn’t crossed that line since. Everyone was perhaps lulled into a false sense of security due to their friendship with Cameron, or perhaps didn’t care. Clark, sober as always, found out the hard way that Cameron still had some ill-intentions deep down, especially after too much liquor.

“C’mon, J, no problem with it now. Aren’t you curious? Haven’t you thought about it?”

Clark’s head turned to where the taller man was leaning slightly toward the boy at the bar. To Julian’s credit, he put on a smirk and didn’t retreat, but Clark could see he was tense. “I’m actually not curious, Pike. I’m quite comfortable in my sexuality, so I don’t need to explore it with you.”

Cameron laughed, seemingly unfazed. “You’re telling me there was nothing there when we-”

Julian paled a bit then, shushing him. Clark closed in to hear what both his castmates thought constituted a lower volume, still not discrete at all over the loud music playing. “You shouldn’t go talking about that, Cam. That was just practice.”

“Oh they know. It’s no big deal.”

Julian stared. “They know.”

“Yeah.” Cameron made an odd face before settling back into a leer. “They weren’t super happy, but we moved past it.” Cameron poured another round of shots and slid one to Julian, who only looked to it warily. “And they don’t have to know a thing this time. It doesn’t concern them.”

“Actually, it does.”

Both heads turned, startled, toward Clark, making himself known with a clear voice and head held high.

“Oh, Clark,” Julian smiled the genuine smile of someone tipsy, and it almost looked like relief. He stepped almost imperceptibly closer to Clark and away from Cameron. “About time you came over to dance with me.”

Clark gave him a reassuring look, before turning to Cameron with hard eyes. “Of course, J. But I’m afraid I’ve gotta tango with this asshole first.”

Cameron knocked back his shot and stepped closer to Julian. “I don’t know what you think you’re talking about, Clarkie, but we were actually in the middle of something.”

“Sounded to me like it was actually reaching an end. He can speak for himself, of course, but I think he told you he’s not interested. Just trying to look out for Julian here.” Clark stepped up to him, his face completely dark now.

“Sawyer, I fucking look after him, too, you know. He’ll be fine with me.”

“You’re drunk.”

“You’re jealous.”

Some other heads began to turn, and the girls and Patrick moved in on the scene.

“No, actually, because  _ I  _ haven’t been thinking of our _ recently underage friend _ that way, Pike. You’re both pretty drunk. He’s told you no. Back. Off.”

Julian looked as though he might speak again, but as he tried to step further back from Cameron to give Clark room, he stumbled. Cameron grabbed him to steady him, but instantly slid his hands lower.

“Cameron,” Julian warned, shoving the older man’s hands away. “I’m fine, get off me.”

“Cameron.”

“He said get off!”

“Let go.”

It was a blur of movement in the low lit room then, but finally Clark was between the two, Patrick’s fist was on the side of Cameron’s face, and their other castmates were split between the two trying to de-escalate and comfort.

Julian still had a few more shots with other guests to break the tension again, but not long after asked Clark to take him home. Clark was relieved, but he still made sure to check in with him as they closed and locked the front door behind them.

“I’m sorry if I was over-stepping, J.”

Julian shook his head, slipping his shoes off just a bit clumsily still. “S’fine, I’m really glad you helped actually, Clork.” His hand flew to his mouth, smothering giggles. “ _ Clork _ . That’s not your name!”

Clark laughed along and led his sloshed friend to the staircase. “I’ll always be there to help as long as you want it. ...starting with these steps?”

“Yes, please.”

After guiding him upstairs and leaving water and pain pills for the morning, Clark prepared to take his leave. Julian, already in bed, spoke drowsily but just clear enough to catch. “Would you stay?”

Clark froze, trying to consider what Julian meant by that, not wanting to cross any boundaries. Luckily, Julian seemed to have sensed this, or at least continued to fill the silence.

“Just, like, on the couch if you want. ...don’t wanna be alone.”

“Of course, Julian. I can do that.”

Over the next year or so they still hung out outside of filming, and still wanted to make plans after Julian joined Haven’s tour. That was when it was clear they were going to be good friends for life. Clark was a great friend that anyone who knew him could depend on. Why did he still feel he wanted to give so much of his time and energy to Julian? Sometimes the dots don’t connect slowly, but rather all at once, as they did for Clark the next time he and his bandmates could get together just for fun.

“Clark, you’ve been real quiet, man,” Raven remarked, causing everyone to set down their pizza and nod in acknowledgement. “We’ve all noticed something’s up.”

“You can tell us anything, you know,” Sinny added.

Clark looked at each of his friends, touched by their concern. “I don’t think anything’s wrong, guys. I think you know just about everything about me.”  _ At least, everything I can figure out about myself _ , he added mentally. He laughed. “Did you guys plan this? What did you think I was hiding from you?”

“Uhhh…pregnancy scandal? Terminal illness? ….sexuality crisis?” Mikey tentatively added.

Despite nervous laughter, Clark realized they were still expecting a response. He took a deep breath. “I don’t know. None of those are things I think are troubling me. I can give you a solid  _ no _ to those first ones, but I think you already knew that. Why do I feel like the last one is the real elephant in the room?”

“Dude, you haven’t gone out with a girl in like, two years.” Corey shrugged. “At some point we realized you weren’t consciously embracing the bachelor life, you just hadn’t even  _ noticed _ .”

“No, yeah, I still like girls…”

“But you also like Julian?”

“SINNY, WHAT THE FUCK!”

The other boys threw things at Sinclair, but Clark just sat back, his concerned expression actually morphing into clarity.

“Yeah,” he stated, as if this entirely new concept to him was the truest thing in the world. And it was. All heads turned back to him. “Yeah, I think I do.”

“Hell yeah!” Sinny shouted triumphantly.

“He’s not straight, right?” Corey grinned. “I think you should tell him.”

“I don’t think I should tell him.”

He told him.

Clark sat with his new knowledge and realized his feelings weren’t going anywhere. He did some soul-searching and decided life was too short to worry every night about Julian’s reaction and having to hide this secret. If he turned him down, they would still be friends, he hoped. So he told him.   
“Oh thank god.”   
Clark blinked back in shock. “What?”

Julian hugged him tightly, and regardless of his confusion, Clark’s stomach fluttered. But it was nothing compared to the way his heart stopped when the voice at his ear murmured, “I was beginning to think I’d never have a chance with you.”

He pulled back, stunned, blinking at Julian’s amused expression. “I thought you’d think I’m just another creepy co-worker or something, so I didn’t wanna say anything.”

“Wh- Clark, we’re friends, dumbass.”

“I know, I know.” As he finally processed everything that was exchanged, he finally smiled more easily. “Wait, but you’re saying we could be more than friends?”

Julian rolled his eyes. “Yes, you beautiful idiot. That would, of course, require you taking me out on a date you know.”

“Yeah, I think I can take care of that,” he managed to joke before a pair of lips closed over his.


End file.
